Presenting

Here are a few steps to practice before your presentation:

• Practice by yourself (in front of the mirror). Practice using vocal variation, hand gestures, and body language for emphasis. 
• Assess yourself and make adjustments. (Are you making frequent eye contact with your audience? Are you reading from your cards? Are you within the allotted time limit? Is your content interesting and presented in a way that will hold your listeners' attention?)
• Use keywords on your note cards to help you remember your talking points. (Do not write out detailed sentences on your note cards. This may cause you to read from your cards.)
• Practice in front of your family, friends, other students or colleagues and ask for constructive feedback. (What went well? What could be improved? Are your slides easy to read and helpful for your audience to understand your presentation?)
• Be aware of time limits. Time yourself each time you practice your presentation and make adjustments when necessary.
• Anticipate any possible questions that may arise from your audience and practice delivering answers to questions with a practice audience (perhaps friends and family).

A few videos for inspiration:

Mike Carr is the 2020 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking. Pay special attention to his attention-grabbing start and use of story-telling.

Aaron Beverly is the 2019 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking. He shows how you can use humour , voice and body language effectively.

4 essential body language tips from a world champion public speaker can help you use body language effectively when giving a speech,